The annual rivalry game between HHS and FHS took place last Friday. This year, the two schools faced off against one another at Fremont High School. The game, dubbed the “Battle of the Bell,” takes place at each school’s campus every other year as their respective football teams fight it out to win bragging rights and the coveted “bell.”

Many students from both schools came out to support their respective teams. Screams and cheers from both sides could be heard as the fight to keep the lead waged on. The pressure to keep that lead, however, was felt prominently within the Mustangs.

“I feel like there’s huge pressure, not only especially on the team, but on us, and a lot of people talk and we’re like, ‘we’re gonna keep the bell,’” spectating senior Karen Rivera said.

She felt that though there was pressure, the Mustangs would be able to pull through.

“I feel [the pressure] gives us more energy and it helps us cheer on and helps keep the team motivated and have a goal,” Rivera said.

The tension built as the struggle for the ball went back and forth between the teams. But in the end, the Mustangs brought home the bell for the seventh year in a row, finishing off the intense game with an impressive score of 36-13.

“It’s like nothing, it’s unbelievable,” senior Nathan Fussell, a Mustang in his final year of football, said, following the victory.

The Mustangs team have the reputation for winning streaks they do thanks to the bonds the players share on and off the field.

“[The team] is a family … they’re my brothers,” Fussell said.

The win against FHS last Friday can only set the bar higher for the team this season, but the team is not about to back down. Head Coach Milo Lewis said he is quite confident that his players are fully prepared for the upcoming season.

“We’re on a roll right now, so it’s kinda cool going into our season. We won the bell, we beat our rival, and it’s time to go and I think all our players understand what’s happening,” Lewis said.